


pressure (...it's growing on me)

by daisyridlevs



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Major Illness, References to Illness, Rivals to Lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:55:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25537687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisyridlevs/pseuds/daisyridlevs
Summary: Benjamin Solo was an asshole.Nobody knew this better than Rey, a hospital intern charged with being his assistant. While most of the staff feared him for his volatile temper, Rey wasn't afraid of him at all; no, no fear, but she did despise him.But when Ben's mother, Doctor Organa, contracts a rare disease, he asks for her help; together they might be able to save her. But can they tolerate each other long enough to do so?[hospital au, rivals/enemies to lovers, angsty with eventual fluff and happy ending.]
Relationships: Rey & Ben Solo, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18





	pressure (...it's growing on me)

**Author's Note:**

> This is a commission for the lovely @aurorbis on twitter! This will be no more than 2-3 chapters, however long it takes for me to tell the story to completion. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS:  
> please read with caution if you are sensitive to any of the following things:  
> -mention of disease  
> -chronic illness  
> -major/serious illness  
> -hospital setting  
> -mention of death
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I'm obviously not a medical professional, so there may be some inaccuracies. The disease Leia contracts is completely made up and is not meant to assemble any known disease as to not offend anyone with real serious/chronic illness.

“Ms. Palpatine.” Ben’s voice rang out behind her, causing her to twitch. Suppressing an eye roll, she turned on her heel, raising her gaze to his. 

“Must you be so formal,  _ Benjamin _ ?” Her tone was teasing, with a generous lilt. None of the other interns would be so bold– but Rey wasn’t intimidated by him like they were. “I’ve told you time and time again that Rey is just fine.”

Recoiling at her sarcasm, Ben frowned, tucking a pen behind his ear and thrusting a stack of folders at her. “ _ Rey _ ,” he drawled, “I need you to enter these patient data sheets into the system.” Taking the folders into her arms, she winced at the weight. The stack was nearly a foot tall. 

“Why the hell are there so many?” Her brows pulled together in a look of dismay. “Aren’t these supposed to be transcribed on a patient by patient basis?”

“They are, yes.” He smirked, stuffing his hands in his scrub pockets. “But I thought it would be fun if I saved up a week’s worth for you to do all at once.” Before Rey could even think of a biting retort, he was turning his back on her, speeding down the hallway.  _ Asshole. _

Ben Solo was feared by all of the interns, known for his temper and quick wit. Rey used to fear him, too, but that changed quickly once she realized what he really was– a lonely, stubborn, man with too much anger and not enough outlet. No, Rey didn’t  _ fear _ Ben, she resented him. Being assigned as his personal intern only caused that resentment to grow, and the mere thought of Ben Solo gave her a headache. 

It wasn’t as if her distaste for Ben was for no reason, however; it was completely justified, based on her experience. She’d wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, despite what the rest of the interns said, but one day after watching him make a mistake first hand, watching him refuse to swallow his pride– it made that nearly impossible to do. 

It was only a few weeks after she had been assigned under him. A patient had returned to for what had to be the fourth time, each time complaining of the same symptoms– most markedly severe intestinal distress. As part of the diagnostics team on call, Ben was charged with helping the patient. Rey had been at his side the whole time, per his request– he liked having her at his beck and call at any given moment. 

After a quick review of his charts and the patient’s previous visit summaries, Ben confidently declared that despite the man’s avid concern and unusually high levels of pain, he was suffering from nothing more than a moderate to severe case of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Rey, however, saw the symptoms as a warning sign of something much more serious– Celiac Disease. 

She voiced her concerns to Ben, or at least she had tried, but he was disinterested. He was so confident that it was nothing serious, so sure of himself– why wouldn’t he be? He was the son of one of the most prestigious doctors in the area. So he sent the man home with a medication to curb intestinal distress. 

Not more than a few days later, the man was back, this time in severe condition. His symptoms had worsened significantly. Rey had been logging some charts Ben had given her in a hall terminal when she saw his file, and her eyes widened when she saw the report. 

**Condition: Stable**

**Pain Level at Intake:** **High. Patient rated 7/10.**

**Diagnosis: Celiac Disease.**

She had been  _ right _ . And he thought she wouldn’t even notice, thought he could slip it in with some other menial tasks? The next day when he was back on call, she had told him to his face just how stubborn, arrogant and prideful he was– and he responded with a disciplinary strike on her employee record. So, sure, she wasn’t afraid of him– but there was some bad blood there. 

✦

The pile of forms had been daunting at first, but to her own surprise Rey had managed to finish it before her lunch break. As soon as she walked into the cafeteria, eyes sore from staring at a computer screen for nearly two hours, she was immediately spotted by Rose, who waved her over to her table. 

“You look exhausted.” Rose raised an eyebrow, gaze trained on Rey as she took a large bite of her sandwich. 

Rey unzipped her lunchbox, eyeing her playfully. “And that’s unusual how?” 

“It’s not,” Rose chuckled, “but your eyes look super bloodshot. You alright?”

Rey nodded, letting out a sigh. “Yeah, I’ve just been staring at screens too long. Solo had me transcribing some stupid intake forms he let pile up.” 

“Ugh.” Rose’s nose scrunched, the very mention of the man making her recoil. “I don’t know how you handle working with him every day. Just being around him for a minute gives me so much anxiety.” Before Rey even had a chance to respond, Finn and Kaydel appeared out of nowhere, sliding in on either side of her with trays full of food. 

“Did someone say anxiety?” Finn raised an eyebrow with a smirk, rubbing a smudge off his apple. “I assume the topic of conversation is the diagnostic team’s proudest,  _ Benjamin Solo _ .” His voice was dripping with sarcasm, coaxing a delicate ripple of laughter from Kaydel. “What’d he do this time?”

“Probably terrified another intern into quitting.” Kaydel scoffed, her eyes rolling heavily. “I saw him screaming at another new girl yesterday because she forgot to unplug an unused ventilator.” 

“Nothing like that.” Rey’s tone was flat, and she hoped it didn’t come off as rude– but the bags under her eyes were more than just decoration, and she was exhausted. “I was just telling Rose he had me do some stupid paperwork for him.”

“ _ Hours _ of stupid paperwork.” Rose narrowed her gaze. “What a prick.”

“Jesus, Rey.” Kaydel sighed, watching as apple juice dribbled down Finn’s chin. “That blows.”

“Maybe he wouldn't have the ego he does now if more people pushed back at his tyrannical behavior.” Rey shrugged, shooting knowing glances at her friends. “I’m the only one who stands up to him, so of course he hates me.”

“Uh uh. No thanks.” Finn set his sights on some pasta salad, speaking through a mouthful. “I don’t need any bad notes in my file. I’m trying to  _ keep _ my job.” Kaydel hummed in agreement. 

“Ditto.” Rose murmured, her hands wrapped tightly around her water bottle. It was then that Rey’s watch lit up, flashing that her alarm was going off– she set one each day so as not to tarry at lunch too long. Inefficiency and poor timing only angered Ben more, and while she kind of enjoyed seeing him frustrated, there was no need to poke the bear right now. 

“I’ve gotta go.” She stood, zipping her lunch box back up and crumpling a used napkin in her hand. “See you all at home later?” 

“You bet!” Rose flashed a smile, back to her cheery self, almost as if they’d never even discussed Ben in the first place. She generally tried to keep a happy demeanor, and it was something about her that had always been comforting to Rey. Kaydel and Finn echoed Rose’s sentiment, and as Rey walked away she heard them muttering something about having a movie night later. She smiled to herself. That probably would be nice, after a tiring day like this one. 

✦

Walking through the halls, Rey allowed her gaze to drift over the various hospital staff who passed her by. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy when she saw doctors flocked by nurses, lead technicians delegating tasks and having command of their subordinates. It’s not that she craved control– or at least, if she did, that wasn’t a conscious motivation– no, Rey wanted respect. She’d worked so long and hard to fight through med school, and she thought that having a place in a hospital, even just being an intern, she’d get some recognition for her hard work. 

She was...dead wrong. 

It was like starting at the bottom of the food chain all over again; it was the adult equivalent to starting high school as a tiny, wide-eyed freshman. Except this time, there was a strong smell of antiseptic, even less sleep, and ridiculously high bills to pay. 

Shaking her thoughts away, she breathed in deep, allowing her mind to clear. She’d work her way up in time. She just had to be more patient. 

Rey had been so lost in thought she hadn’t realized how close she’d come to her destination– the conclusion of her inner monologue had left her stopped just outside Ben Solo’s door. Granted, most residents didn’t have their own office, but Ben was allocated some extra resources due to his mother being in a respected position. 

She curled her hand into a fist, raising it to knock, when she heard hushed voices from inside. Pausing, she took a step back, and bit her lip. It sounded like Ben and his mother, Leia Organa. For a moment she thought to turn away; this wasn’t any of her business. The right thing to do would be to head down the hall, wait for Leia to exit, and then approach Ben. Yes, that would be the  _ right _ thing to do… but it wouldn’t satisfy her curiosity. 

Against her better judgement, Rey pressed her ear to the door, eyes squinting in focus as she tried to hear. They were speaking quietly but passionately, and Rey could tell from her tone of voice that Leia was exasperated. 

“Ben, it’s  _ important _ to me. I need someone I can trust to take my place.” Leia’s voice was warm– it was always warm– but it was also tired, like she was run down. 

“You’ve never trusted me.” Ben’s voice was biting, a near hiss. “This isn’t about that, though, is it? It’s about legacy.”

“Ben–”

“I’m not going to be your replacement, mom. Just drop it.”

Rey heard a sigh, assuredly Leia’s, and then muffled footsteps. Panic rose in her throat, remembering the risk of what she'd done, and she darted from the door, feigning interest in some posters on the bulletin board nearby. 

“Miss Palpatine.” Leia’s voice rang out behind her, and Rey felt her spine tense. She turned, expecting to see a stern face, the eyes of someone who had caught her red handed– but no. Leia’s face was kind, with a small smile igniting her eyes. “Lovely to see you.” 

“Doctor Organa,” Rey acknowledged her with a nod, returning her smile, “I’m surprised to see you here so early in the day.”

“Well,” Leia sighed, her smile faltering for a moment, “I’m trying to cut down my hours, these days.” Rey hadn’t noticed it at first, but she looked exhausted. Not an unusual thing to see among hospital staff, but Doctor Organa herself was infamously resilient. 

They chatted briefly, all of the tried and true small talk; the weather, the traffic in the ER, the frigid air conditioning that nobody liked but nobody could figure out how to turn down. After a few minutes Leia departed politely, waving goodbye, and Rey moved on with her day, the conversation she overheard turning curiously in her mind. 

✦

“Poe, pass the Teriyaki Beef.” Rey muttered through a mouthful of rice, gesturing eagerly with her hand. 

“Yes  _ ma’am _ .” He muttered sarcastically, passing the takeout box in her direction, nearly spilling Finn’s drink in the process. They had ordered in from their favorite Chinese place, and were sitting on the floor huddled around their second hand coffee table. 

“How busy was it today, Poe?” Kaydel looked at him curiously, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. During the day she usually kept it pinned, and couldn’t seem to help playing with it when it was down. 

Poe rolled his eyes, sighing melodramatically. “Intensely slow. Literally nothing to do.” Rey raised an eyebrow, and before she could even speak, he blurted out an amendment. “Not that I want the ambulances to be constantly busy. I don’t want people to get hurt. But yeah, no, there wasn’t much to do.” 

Rey let out a small chuckle, marveling at how easy it was to mess with him. He was a sweet guy, and his emotional receptors were always on high alert. “We know what you mean, dude. So where’s Rose? Wasn’t she gonna join us?” She piled some beef onto her rice, silently patting herself on the back for her growing proficiency with chopsticks. 

“She said she had some kinda date.” Finn’s voice was low, but she could sense the mischief in his voice long before she even saw the little smirk he wore. 

“No shit.” Rey felt her eyes widen, and hoped she didn’t look like one of those caricatures of surprise in old cartoons. Looking around though, she saw her expression was mirrored by Kaydel and Poe as well. “With who?” It was notoriously difficult for Rose to find dates, due to her famously high standards– so this was definitely an interesting development. Even more interesting due to the fact that Rey hadn’t been the first to know. 

“She made me promise not to tell.” Finn bit his lip, staring straight into his Lo Mein. “But I mean, as long as you guys don’t say anything to her I guess I can–”

_ Beep. Beep. Beep.  _

“Damnit.” Poe threw his head back, sighing. “I’m getting paged.” He looked down at his pager, brows furrowing as he read the code. “They want extra help at a residence call, asking any available EMTs to pull through. Must be someone important.”

Finn looked relieved, momentarily freed from the spotlight. “Of course dude. Go do your job.” 

“You guys can have the rest of my egg rolls.” He took one last bite, shoving it down, before standing and darting for his room to put on his uniform. After Poe muttered a few rushed goodbyes and ran out the door, they resumed eating, the energy a little less vibrant without Poe there. Rey put on an old episode of Law and Order, and they sat in comfortable silence watching as they finished off the food. 

As she headed over to the sink, tossing in the dishes– it was late, they’d deal with those later– Rey’s phone began to vibrate. Eyeing the clock on the oven, she raised a brow, curious as to who would be calling at a quarter to midnight. 

The name on the phone was illuminated in bold white letters: Ben Solo. 

Well, it didn’t actually say Ben Solo, it said “Asshole” because she put that as his contact name to amuse herself. But that’s besides the point. Why would Ben Solo be calling her so late? Why would he be calling her  _ at all? _ Begrudgingly she answered the phone, not bothering to make her voice sound particularly pleasant. 

“What?”

“Please don’t give me an attitude right now, Rey.” He sounded tired, unusually unguarded. “I need to speak to you about something serious.”

“Uh, okay.” She glanced back at her friends, still huddled around the TV, and ducked into her bedroom. “What’s this about?”

“I know we haven’t always got on very well in the past.” Ben sighed, his exhale crackling through the phone. “But I need...I need to ask for your help.”

Rey suppressed a snort, hardly believing her ears. The great Benjamin Solo, asking for  _ her _ help? Interesting. 

“With what?”

“It’s my mother. Doctor Organa.” He paused, sucking in a deep breath. Rey felt her stomach tense. “She’s dying.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! leave a comment xx


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